Billionaire fake proposals and nanny drama? That’s my jam, and this one DELIVERED

Roland Kirk – broody billionaire with a tragic backstory (RIP to his first love), who’s been low-key pining after his nanny for years while raising two adorable girls. When her trash ex parades his new fiancee around, Roland’s like, “Let’s fake propose and blow them all out of the water!” and honestly? I WAS SCREAMING.

June? She’s a total cinnamon roll – sweet, loyal, and living her dream of caring for these kids (and, okay, maybe low-key crushing on her boss). But when he drops to one knee and proposes for real (but not really… but also kind of really??), sparks start flying faster than a billionaire’s private jet.

Cue the slow-burn tension, the surprise kisses that had me squealing, and the “should we or shouldn’t we” vibes that had me flipping pages like a madwoman.

I’m obsessed with how this story balances sweet family moments (the girls, I can’t 🥺), chemistry, and that fake dating angst we all know and love. June and Roland’s journey from friends to maybe something more was the perfect cosy billionaire fantasy with just enough spice to keep me hooked. 💘

*Thank you to 8th Note Press and NetGalley for this eARC; the review is my own.*

This book was fine—I didn’t love it or hate it. It was an okay diversion from some heavier reading, but I was impatient to finish it. I found the writing to be somehow juvenile and outdated at the same time, and I found the characters to be immature, despite their given ages. Though the idea behind it was cute while tropey (widowed billionaire falls for his daughters’ nanny), the execution was only mediocre.

Any character who wasn’t supposed to be liked was presented like a one-dimensional villain in a melodrama, which is something I’ve never liked. Their negative depictions were likely intended to serve as foils to the main characters, but I just found out off putting. June (24) constantly referred to her ex-boyfriend’s new fiancé as “the stick insect" rather than her name, which reflected worse on June than it did on Phyllis. Bedsides the two of them, the only other adult females featured in the book were Barbara (the brazen competition) and Helen (the matronly assistant). Casey (the ex-boyfriend) seemed to possess one trait: sleazy. I couldn't help wondering why June ever dating him or why on earth she pined after him so much, telling herself over and over that she should have been with him. She acted like a recently dumped teenager rather than a 24-year-old adult woman mature enough to care for two children.

Obstacles were unnecessarily placed in June and Roland’s (32) way, and it felt like it was all just to draw out the length of the book (which wasn't even very long). It came across as very contrived and unnatural. Rather than focusing on character development, getting to know each other romantically, or how the two of them could navigate life with a new relationship, the author repeatedly brought the two of them together only to pull them apart again for absolutely on reason. It was always the same argument over and over, and it grew tiresome.

Are the readers this book would appeal to? Definitely, if they're looking for a predictable story with obvious antagonists and a guaranteed happy ending. This is the second Vivi Holt book I've read (Make-Believe Fiancé), and I think it will be my last. Her writing just isn't my style.

This one was an okay read, I had to push through it though. Like the previous one, I had a hard time keeping my focus on the book. The writing is great, just not for me.

"Make Believe Proposal" by Vivi Holt is an engaging romantic comedy that expertly combines humor and heartfelt moments. The story centers on a heroine who, in a twist of fate, finds herself in a faux engagement with a charming stranger. As they navigate the complexities of their pretend relationship, what begins as a lighthearted arrangement soon evolves into something deeper and more meaningful.

Holt’s writing shines with witty dialogue and relatable characters, making it easy to root for the protagonists. The chemistry between them is electric, driving the plot forward and keeping readers invested in their journey. The book also touches on themes of self-discovery and the unpredictability of love, adding depth to the lighthearted premise.

With its delightful mix of romance and comedy, "Make Believe Proposal" is a charming read that’s perfect for fans of contemporary romance. Holt has crafted a story that will leave readers smiling and dreaming of their own love stories.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Sweet story and sweet characters. We loved and enjoy reading it, the story got out attention from beginning to end. We enjoyed a clean romance !

adorable and sweet, with just a touch of steam to help it not get too saccharine............................................

Make Believe Proposal by Vivi Holt is a romance (Christian romance) of the fake engagement and nanny tropes. The romance was nice. However, whilst romance books are generally predictable, I expected something more from this book. It fell a little flat for me unfortunately. Thank you, Netgalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.

I ended up dropping this a couple times, but I pushed myself to read through it because I hate leaving books unfinished it was OK. I have explored books by this author that were a lot better so I do recommend to those to check out the author.

An amazing book well worth the read! I was lucky enough to be given a review copy via NetGalley and I believe this is an absolute must read!

Roland is a billionaire businessman and a single father of two little girls. June is a live-in nanny. They have been working together for a long time and have become good friends.

Her ex-boyfriend announced a proposal a very short time after their breakup and she is devastated. To help her save face, Roland proposes to her, in front of the ex and his kids.

The proposal even though is fake, opened the door to a lot of feelings that they both kept hidden. But dating a boss is a tricky thing, especially when the kids are involved.

I like the story a lot, but I wish that the characters had more chemistry.

Could not finish the book. The FMC was pathetic. Her tone of voice was childish and immature though she is described as being smart and mature. As much as I can suspend disbelief when reading some romance novels, I don’t like doing it for pathetic main characters.

Plot: June is a nanny to the billionaire Roland and her boyfriend breaks up with her only to get engaged two weeks late. June's revenge plot is to make her ex see that she's happy and doing just fine without him and then her boss fake-proposes to her in front of her ex.

Review: I absolutely loved this book. That being said, while I love a fake-dating plot I'm not usually a huge fan of the billionaire/age gap trope. The plot and characters were so well written. Even the kids characters are extremely well written. This book transports you into this billionaire's estate and the inner workings of the family. One of the things that I absolutely ADORED was their trip to Destin, FL. While I'm a South Dakota girlie now, once upon a time I was a Pensacola, FL girlie and I frequently go back because I love that area. Mad props for representing the Florida panhandle. The story didn't feel rushed at all, which I feel is tough to do in a short novel but this writer seems to have a knack for it! All around highly recommend this read but this author as well. I've really enjoyed both of the books that I've read by her.

I am sad to say Make Believe Proposal wasn't a book for me because I thought I would like it but I was wrong.

I noticed it already in the beginning of the book that it wasn't the right book but I didn't wanted to do an DNF since this was my first time reading something from this author.

It failed for me because I couldn't connect with the characters and didn't enjoyed the story which is a chock since I usually enjoy a book that has fake dating in it.

I'm just not a fan of this author. I tried to read her other book in this series, also sent by Net Galley, and I wasn't a fan of that book either. I just find her writing style to be boring and amateur, and I'm not able to connect with the goals and priorities of the main characters.

DNF at 7%.

Sorry, I know 7% is a pathetic attempt at reading but I just could not get into the writing style and June seemed really juvenile. By contrast, her boss Roland sounds about sixty!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The premise of this one was really fun and I love the cover but the story fell flat for me. I didn't love the FMC and found her to be childish for someone in their twenties. The writing was repetitive and I couldn't get into the POV, resulting in a DNF for this one.

Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.

DNF at 27%. I found the writing to be a bit tangential, and I just couldn’t get into it. Though I love a fake dating trope, I needed a bit more chemistry and banter between the characters.

I really wanted to like this book. Especially since the premise of the book sounded really cool with the Single Dad/ Nanny trope. The book follows June, a nanny and Roland, June’s boss. It starts with June getting fake proposed to by her boss in front of her ex-boyfriend.
I couldn’t connect to any of the main characters in this book, and the whole thing felt super rushed. There wasn’t any context or character building, and it just umped straight in like we should know what has been happening and what their dynamic is like.

I’m sure this would be someone else’s cup of tea, but this was a huge miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.